1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a marking instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
Marking instruments of all types, three-dimensional shapes, and sizes exist, and may be used for writing and marking on a desired surface. The most common form for a marking instrument is a rigid extended cylindrical shape of varying length and diameter, containing an apparatus to contain a marking substance and/or solid (hereinafter referred to as a “marking substance-containing apparatus”), and an apparatus to suitably deliver the marking substance and/or solid (hereinafter referred to as a “marking substance”) to the surface to be written upon or marked (hereinafter referred to as a “marking device” or a “marking solid-delivering apparatus”).
Generally, such writing and marking instruments also contain an apparatus to prevent the marking device and/or the marking solid-delivering apparatus from marking surfaces when the writing and marking instrument is not being used, commonly in the form of a capping apparatus or a retracting apparatus. Additionally, common writing and marking instruments often contain an apparatus to attach the writing and marking instrument to clothing worn by the user (hereinafter referred to as an “attachment apparatus”), generally in the form of a semi-rigid clip apparatus.
Common embodiments of such writing and marking instruments are ball point pens, fountain pens, porous-nib pens and markers, mechanical pencils, and various combinations of pens, mechanical pencils and markers. Pens and markers use a variety of suitable inks and marking chemical compounds to mark surfaces. Pencils use a variety of suitable solid marking compounds to mark surfaces (hereinafter referred to as “marking solids”).